Contemporary hard disk drives include an actuator assembly pivoting through an actuator pivot to position one or more read-write heads, embedded in sliders over a rotating disk surface. The data stored on the rotating disk surface is typically arranged in concentric tracks collectively referred to as the data region. To access the data of a track, a servo controller first positions the read-write head by electrically stimulating the voice coil motor, which couples through the voice coil and an actuator arm to move a head gimbal assembly in positioning the slider close to the track. This process is often referred to as a track seeking process. Once the slider and its embedded read-write head are close to the track a second process known as a track following process takes over the control of positioning the read-write head to access the track.
To minimize air turbulence and its affect upon the read-write head's access of data, the disk enclosures of contemporary disk drives are made to provide very little room between the rotating disk surface and the enclosure wall or an internal disk damper. When the hard disk drive is mechanically shocked, the disk(s) tend to flex and can in doing so, make contact with the enclosure and/or disk damper. This contact tends to damage the data stored in the contact region, degrading the reliability of the hard disk drive.
What is needed are hard disk drives which are better able to withstand mechanical shock while reducing air turbulence at the actuator assembly, in particular at the read-write head(s). More specifically, a mechanism is needed to protect a disk surface from contact while insuring the reduction of air turbulence.